Pokémon GO brought AR gaming into the mainstream back in 2016, and it's still got a massive, dedicated player base.
Since it's built entirely around walking around outside, most players are running it on mobile data rather than Wi-Fi.
Which makes one question genuinely important for anyone who plays regularly on the go.
So, how much internet data does Pokémon GO use?
On average, Pokémon GO uses around 5 to 30 MB of internet data per hour, making it one of the lightest games you can play on your phone.
For most players walking around and catching Pokémon normally, the usage sits much closer to 10 MB per hour.
In this article, I've broken this down in more detail.
I've also covered what actually pushes the number higher, in case you've noticed your data climbing on certain days!
So, without any further ado, let us dive right into it!
Internet Data Usage of Pokémon GO
This is one of the better-documented games out there, since Pokémon GO's data usage has actually been studied by real analytics firms and universities, not just estimated by bloggers.
A network analytics firm that tracked hundreds of real players found the game consumes around 5 to 10 MB per hour, and a separate university researcher measured almost the exact same thing: about 10 MB for an hour of walking around and playing normally.
Other independent reports, including one from a mobile carrier's own testing, land in a slightly wider 5 MB to 30 MB per hour range, with heavier AR use and back-to-back raid battles pushing toward the top of that range.
Given how tightly the measured studies agree with each other, the figure I'm most confident in is around 10 MB of internet data per hour.
So, we can conclude that the internet data usage of Pokémon GO is around 10 MB per hour under normal playing conditions.
From this, it's pretty straightforward to figure out the weekly and monthly data consumption as well!
If you play Pokémon GO for one hour every day for a week, the total internet data used would be around 70 MB per week.
And if you play for one hour every day throughout an entire month, the total data consumed would come out to around 300 MB per month.
Now, you might also want to know how much data Pokémon GO uses based on how long you play each day.
I've put together a handy table below to help you with exactly that!
I've done all the math already, so you don't have to worry about it.
Here's the table:
| Playtime per day | Data usage per day | Data usage per week | Data usage per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | 10 MB | 70 MB | 300 MB |
| 2 hours | 20 MB | 140 MB | 600 MB |
| 3 hours | 30 MB | 210 MB | 900 MB |
| 4 hours | 40 MB | 280 MB | 1.17 GB |
| 5 hours | 50 MB | 350 MB | 1.46 GB |
| 6 hours | 60 MB | 420 MB | 1.76 GB |
| 7 hours | 70 MB | 490 MB | 2.05 GB |
Note: The data usage of Pokémon GO has been taken as 10 MB per hour in the above table.
Does Pokémon GO use a LOT of Internet data?
Not even close. Pokémon GO is genuinely one of the lightest apps on your phone in terms of data, mobile game or otherwise.
One hour of HD video streaming uses somewhere around 350 MB, which is roughly 35 times more than an hour of Pokémon GO. A full week of daily play would still use less data than a single hour of Netflix.
The main things that push usage up are heavy AR mode use, back-to-back raid battles, and busy community day events where lots of Pokémon and gym data are being pulled in around you constantly. None of these push it anywhere close to genuinely heavy territory.
Honestly, the bigger practical concern for most players isn't data, it's battery. The game keeps your GPS, camera, and screen active constantly, which drains your phone noticeably faster than data ever will.
Conclusion
In this article, I've answered one of the most commonly asked questions among Pokémon GO players: how much internet data the game actually uses.
I've also covered why battery, not data, is the real thing to watch out for while playing.
I'll keep updating the data in this article as things change over time.
Note: The data in this article is up-to-date, as of 24th July 2026.
Now, I'd love to hear from you:
Do you still play Pokémon GO? If yes, are you chasing raids and community days, or just casually catching on your daily walk?
Or maybe you've got a question!
Either way, feel free to drop a comment below and let me know!
Cheers,
Raj Oberoi